Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1887-06-04


for any god II he came not with pomp and
power. They, chosen people, a vessel OF
him they called Jehovah, az, and vessel OF
Baal, and a vessel of Astoreth, and vessel
of the gods OF the Egyptians--a high ston-
achod people, greedy Of aught that brought
them wealth and power So they crucifled
their Messiah because he camo ia lowly guise,
and now are they scattered about tho earth.
Why, II l remember, 80 said one OF their
prophets that 1t should be. Well, let them
60; they broke my heart, those Jews, and
made me look with ovil eyes across tho world,
ay, and drove me to this wilderness OF
people that was before them When would
have taught them wisdom In Jerusalem they
stoned mo; ay, at the gate OF tho temple those
white bearded hypocrites and rabbis bounded
the people on to stone mel See, here is the
mark Of ii to this day." and with sudden
move she pulled up the gauzy wrapping on
her rounded arm and pointed TO a little scar
that showed red against its milky beauty.
shrunk back Mortified.
"Pardon mo, oh, queen" said, "but am
bewildered. Ncarly 1000 years have rolled
across the earth since the jewish Messiah
hung upon his cross at Golgotha. How,
then, canst thou have taught thy philosophy
TO tho Jews before He wass Thou artln
woman, and no spirit. How can woman
live 1900 yearss Why dost thou befool me,
oh, queenP
She leaned back on the couch, and once
more felt the hidden eyes playing upon me
and searching out my heart.
| "Oh, mani" she said at last, speaking very
slowly and deliberately, "it seems that there
are still things upon the earth Of which thou
knowest naught. Dost thou still believe that
oil things die oven as those very Jews be-
lievedl / tell thee that naught really dies.
There Is no such thing as death, though there
be thing called change. See;" and shc
pointed to some sculptures on the rocky wall.
"Three times 1900 years hnvo passed since
the last OF the great race that hewed those
pictures fell before the breath OF the pestilence
that destroyed them, yet are they not dead.
Zen now they live; perchance their very
spirits are drawn toward us now" She
| glanced round. "Of surety 1t sometimes
seems to me that my eyes can see them"
"Yes, but TO the world they are dead"
aAy, for time; but oven to the world are
they born again and again. |, even /,
Ayesha for that Is my name, stranger--I
say to thee that-I wait now for one I loved TO
|
me, knowing OF surety that hither no win
come, and that here, and here only, shall he
greet me. Why dost thou suppose that who
am all powerful; whose loneliness is greater
than the LONELINESS OF the Grecian Helen of
whom they sing, and whose wisdom Is greater
-ay, ten times moro great-than the wisdom
OF Solomon tho Wise; who know the secrets
of the earth and its riches, and can turn all
things to my uses; l who have even for
awhile overcome change, that ye call death
why, say, oh, stranger, dost thou think that
/ herd here with barbaiIans lower than tho
beastsp
II know not" l said, humbly.
because l wait for him love. My life
has perchance been evil, know not-for
who can say what Is evil and what Is goodi--
SO fear 10 die, oven II could die, which ]
cannot, to go and seek him where he Is; foe
between us there might DO wall could net
climb-at least fear so. Surely easy would
it be TO lose the way in those great spaces
wherein the suns wander on forever. nut
the day viii come, may be, when ten thousand
more years have passed and arc lost and
melted into the vault of Time, even as the
little clouds melt into the gloom OF night,
: when he shall be born again, and then, fol-
; lowing law that Is stronger than any human
plan, he will find me here, and OF q surety
! his heart will soften toward me though
sinned against him; ay, even though he
i knows me not again, yet will he love me- II
, only for my beauty's sake"
} For O moment | was dumfonnded, and
could not answer. The matter was too over.
! powering for my intellect to grasp
"But even so, oh, queen," l said at last
seven II we men be born again and again,
that is not so with thee, If thou speakcsi
truly" Here she looked up sharply, and
/ once more caught the fish of those hidden
, eyes-"Thou," ! went on, hurriedfy, "whe
i hast never died." o
"'Tis so,' she said; "and IL Is 20 because
have, half by chance and half by learning
solved one Of the great secrets of the world
!, Tell me, stranger: life is--why, therefore
should not life be heightened for while
What are ten or twenty or fifty thousand
years In the history Of lifel Why, in ten
thousand years scarce will tho rain and
! storms lessea a mountain top by span In
thickness. In two thousand years these caves
have not changed; naught has changed but
) the beasts and man, who Is as the beasts
! There Is naught that Is wonderful about ths
matter, couldst thou but understand. Life h
! wonderful, ny, but that it should be littlt
} heightened is not wonderful Nature haiti
her animating spirit as well as man, who Il
: Natures child, and he who can And that spirit
and let 1t breathe upon him shall live will
her life. He shall not live eternally, FOL
Nature is not eternal, and she herself mus
die, even ss the nature Of tho moon hath died
i She herself must die, ] say, or rather change
} and sleep till it be time for her to 1.-Two again
But when shall she diet Not yet ! ween
, and while she lives SO shall he who hnth al
her secret live with her. AN / have not, ye'
, have some more, perchance, than any who
were before me. Now TO thee ! doubt mo-
this thing is great mystery, therefore viii
not overcome thee with 1t now. Another
! time will tell Gee more II the mood be or
me, though, perchanco, shall never speak o.
> it again. Dost thou wonder how knew thai
ye were coming, and 20 saved your bead
i from the hot pot~
SAY, oh queen" answered, feebly. "a
"Then gaze la the water" and shs pointat
to the font like vessel, and then, bending for
ward, held her hand over 1t.
rose and gazed, and instantly tho watei
, darkened. Then 1t cleared, and saw as dis
tinctly as ever saw anything in my hfe--l